A New Normal
by The Warrior Sif
Summary: A look in to Katherine and Jack's life a couple months after the end of the newsie strike. Features Jack and Kath being cute and happy. Can be read as a stand-alone, but events from No Deal are mentioned / Part 4 of No Deal Timeline


Katherine leans back in her chair and stretches her arms above her head. She's been working on the same article for a couple of hours now and has finally got a first draft finished. It's a glorious feeling, having all the right thoughts down, but she knows that she'll probably spend twice as long editing it to perfection. Though her Refuge article was received well, she can tell that no one at the Sun truly believes in her yet. She's got to keep proving them wrong and the only way that is going to happen is by continuing to out write every man in that office.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she finds she's missed breakfast. And lunch. In fact, it's nearly dinner time. Upon this realization, her stomach growls in discontent. She inwardly lectures herself over letting herself skip those meals. It's not healthy and on top of that, she's been trying to get Jack to recognize the important of regular meals too. It's been a couple months since the Refuge closed and he's nearly back to his normal build, but the concept of eating regularly just hasn't locked on yet. She's starting to wonder if it ever will.

A snore coming from the couch behind her interrupts her thoughts and she turns to find Jack stretched out on his stomach on the couch. His feet are dangling off the end, his right arm is brushing the floor, and his neck is twisted in a way that Katherine is sure is going to hurt when he wakes up. She winces at the thought before smiling to herself; Jack looks so peaceful in sleep. Younger too. She's always reminding herself that though he acts so much older, Jack is barely as old as her.

His newsie cap had fallen off his head to the floor beside the couch. He still wears the thing daily, apparently not quite ready to give up his newsie trademark. Ink blots line the edges of it now from where he has grabbed it at work at his illustrator's desk.

This is the first day he's taken off completely since starting his job as an illustrator for the Sun. He's only scheduled five days a week at the office but he's been spending the other two days out selling papers with the newsies. She's been wanting to tell him to slow down and relax a bit, but she's seen the smaller stack of papers he buys now when he goes out to sell and has come to the conclusion that it's just one of the ways he finds time to hang out with his newsie brothers without keeping them from work. The comradery he has with them is just not something that exists in the offices at the Sun and she thinks he misses the constant interaction he gets while out selling papers.

He's made new friends of course, with Darcy and Bill. They've been her pseudo-brothers for so long it would be awkward if they didn't get along. Darcy and Jack had clicked almost immediately when Jack and her had joined Darcy and his newest girlfriend for that promised double date. They'd ended up going to dinner then seeing a show which had meant Jack had to wear his nice suit – the one he hated more than anything else. She should know; he's told her multiple times. The moment Jack had started tugging at his bowtie with discomfort, Darcy had pulled his own off, mentioned how archaic the idea of dressing up to go out was and had encouraged Jack to do the same. Jack had smiled at the invitation and graciously accepted. Of course, their bond had only solidified over discussion of her father, who neither of them of cared for.

Katherine's stomach lets out another angry rumble. She sighs and stands from her chair, carefully pushing it in under her desk so she doesn't accidentally trip over it later. She's already done that enough that it should be second nature to push in the chair, but she finds herself having to double check every time. She meanders in to the kitchen and pulls out fixings for sandwiches. She's not much of a cook, neither is Jack, but they both make do with putting pre-cooked ingredients together. It's much harder to burn things that don't require being heated. Almost impossible even.

She finishes up both the sandwiches and puts them on the small kitchen table before going over to kneel beside the couch. Jack is still asleep, oblivious to the world. Katherine leans forwards and softly kisses him on the forehead before running a hand through his hair. She revels in the fact that she gets to do this – that she has someone she can do this with. Jack's green eyes slowly slide open and a lopsided smile forms on his face when he sees her. Her stomach flutters at his response.

"As glad as I am that you're catching up on sleep, you really need to eat too Jack," she whispers as she grabs for his hand that had been brushing the floor.

Jack's eyes glint with something mischievous as he sits up and uses their clasped hands to pull her down on to the couch next to him. Katherine gasps a little in surprise when he pulls her in for a proper kiss and frowns a little when they separate. Jack's arms wrap around her and he tiredly whines, "I could've slept more Ace, I's gone longer than a couple hours without eating before and survived. I's still here, ain't I?"

Katherine wraps her arms around him and lays her head on his shoulder, still unnerved by the thought of her Jack going without eating. Memories of how skinny he'd been when they'd finally gotten him out of the Refuge a couple months ago involuntarily flash through her mind. "Just because you have and think you can doesn't mean you should."

After sitting there for a while, just holding each other, Katherine's sure Jack has fallen back asleep. His breathing has slowed down and his hold on her has loosened. His head has lolled to rest on top of hers. It's another one of his more peculiar abilities – sleeping anywhere, anytime. She pushes aside thoughts wondering why he has the ability in the first place – now is not the time. He is safe and doesn't need to worry about that anymore. But they need to eat so she stands and pulls at his arms gently until he once again wakes. "Come on Jack. After you eat you can go sleep. In your bed. Which is surely more comfortable than the couch."

He chuckles at nothing as he allows her to pull him to his feet. He shuffles along behind her as they make their way to the table. Jack immediately starts digging in to his sandwich and Katherine rolls her eyes. How he could ever pretend he's not hungry is beyond her.

She's about halfway through her sandwich and Jack's nearly finished with his when a curt knocking comes from their front door. Her mouth is still full of food, so she raises an eyebrow at Jack, silently asking him if he is expecting anyone. She certainly isn't and it's not particularly common for them to have visitors; they're much more likely to meet people out and about than host them.

Jack, mouth still half full, responds, "I ain't 'xpecting anyone."

Katherine rolls her eyes. Jack has become fairly practiced at table manners with all the times they've eaten out with Darcy or Bill, but they are left at the door and forgotten about the moment they're home.

Katherine watches Jack rise and open the door. She can't see who it is from this angle, but Jack's greeting is telltale enough.

"Hey Crutchie. Heyya Mouse!" Upon greeting the younger newsie, Jack's voice lightens with excitement. "Come on in, it's still too cold outside."

Jack starts to lead the pair towards the couch he just been sleeping on not a half hour earlier, but Crutchie stops just a few steps inside the door.

From the kitchen, Katherine calls, "Can I get you guys some sandwiches? Tea?"

Crutchie blushes and readjusts his crutch, "Oh, uh, no thanks Kath. We's just going to be a second hopefully."

Katherine continues making a couple sandwiches anyways. She can wrap them in parchment for the boys to take with them if they won't stay to eat. It's February and the air outside is frigid, which means there won't be many people out buying papers. The boys can return their extras now and get what they paid back, but she can at least insure they don't have to worry about also finding food for dinner.

She watches the boys' conversation as she finishes up the simple sandwiches, wishing they had some apples or oranges or something else healthy to send with them as well.

"So what's up Crutch?" Jack asks with a smile.

"Oh, uh, well we's got a bit of a problem," Crutchie starts and Katherine watches Jack's smile fall. She feels concern grow inside her as well. "I's went to Race with it and he said to come ta you." He looks up at Jack with big eyes, clearly confident in Jack's ability to handle whatever is wrong.

Jack's squaring his shoulders up a little as she walks around him to hand Crutchie the wrapped sandwiches, which he slips in to his newsie bag with a thankful smile and a thanks.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asks, since it seems that Jack has lost himself in thought.

Crutchie nudges Mouse forward with his crutch and instructs, "Mouse, will ya talk to Jack?"

Katherine's heart speeds up at the thought that whatever trouble the boys are in involves Mouse. He's the youngest newsie by a couple years and the sweetest kid. She can't imagine him getting in to any sort of trouble – doesn't want to.

Mouse tugs at his shirt a bit and looks up at Jack, silent as he twists from side to side.

Jack slowly drops to his knees on the floor in front of Mouse and sweetly coaxes, "What's wrong Mousie?"

Mouse just looks at the floor and shuffles his feet, oblivious to Jack's charm.

Jack smiles softly before redirecting with, "Ya learn any new words today Mousie?"

Katherine smiles. Jack asks Mouse that every time he sees him. Their best guess is that Mouse is five. Even for a five year old, Mouse doesn't speak very much at all and when he does it's normally something he's said before. Crutchie's been trying to teach him to read the newspaper headlines and Jack's been trying got help out by quizzing Mouse whenever he sees him.

Mouse look up from the floor and beams at Jack before nearly yelling, "Kitty!"

Katherine frowns. She's fairly sure the boy has learned all his animals by now. There had been an article not too long ago published about the travelling circus, accompanies by a picture of elephants, which Mouse had been enraptured by. Animals were all he would talk about for weeks.

Jack apparently is confused as well, "You's already knows that word Mousie."

Crutchie nudges Mouse again and the smaller kid turns and digs around in his newsie bag, which is nearly touching the floor before pulling out a black ball of fur, sticking it in Jack's face and again yelling, "Kitty!"

Jack seems unfazed by the sudden revelation, even smiling a little, "Yeah, you's got yerself a baby kitty there Mousie."

Crutchie rubs at his face with his free hand and exasperatedly says, "He won't let it go Jackie. He's insistin' on keepin' it in his newsie bag. I's told him he can't keep it but he ain't listenin' to me"

Jack looks up to Crutchie and smiles before returning his gaze to Mouse, who's now cradling the small kitten to his chest. "Well you can't keep the kitty in your bag Mousie, that's now how kitties live." He confidently sticks out an open hand, "Can ya hand me the kitty Mousie? I wants to look at it."

Mouse turns away from Jack so that the kitten is further from his outstretched hand. "No!" He insists.

Jack retracts his hand and runs it through his hair instead, looking up at the celling in thought. A smile pops on his face and he stands and retreats from the room, calling, "Just give me a sec!"

Katherine gazes down upon the ball of fur in Mouse's hands. The kitten's young. Maybe six weeks old and its green eyes wonderfully look around the room as it sticks its claws in to Mouse's arms and torso in fear. She winces and notes to look over the boy's scratches before they leave.

As quick as he left, Jack is back. He's carrying his grey newsie cap in his left hand and he kneels in front of Mouse once again. "Hey Mousie, you still don't have a newsie cap?"

Mouse slowly shakes his head, obviously uncertain with the change in conversation topic.

Jack runs his cap around his hands a bit and says, "How 'bout I make ya a deal then? I gives you my newsie cap and you gives me the kitty."

Mouse's eyes widen a little at the prospect but he doesn't make any move to accept the deal, still clutching the kitten to his chest.

Jack scratches his head a bit before running off again, leaving his newsie cap on the floor in front of Mouse. When he returns this time, he's clutching his sketch pad and some charcoal. Katherine watches as he quickly sketches out a cartoon of a black kitten. She'll never stop being amazed by how quickly and wonderfully Jack can capture reality.

After a couple minutes in silence, Jack turns around the sketch pad and show Mouse the sketch. "Now how 'bout this Mousie. I gives you my newsie cap _and_ this sketch of the kitty that won't claw you none and you gives me the kitty. Deal?"

Jack sets the sketchpad on the floor, drawing facing up. He then spits in to one hand and extends both of them out, clearly expecting to get a spitshake in one and a kitten in the other. And that's exactly what he gets. Katherine shakes her head, amazed at how Jack handled the situation and endeared by how good he is with the kid.

Once the kitten is firmly clutched to Jack's chest and he's stood up and taken a couple steps back from thee group, Katherine addresses Mouse, "Hey Mouse? Can I look at where the kitten scratched you before you go?"

Mouse nods and Katherine tenderly unbuttons and pulls down the boys too-large shirt. She smiles, none of the scratches are more than superficial. She pulls the shirt back up and buttons it before tugging Jack's newsie cap on to the boy's head. It's comically large on him, but he smiles. She also carefully tears the page out of Jack's sketchbook and folds it before tucking it in to the boy's newsie bag.

"Thank Jack," Crutchie smiles. "Race took one look at it and said it was your problem."

Jack smirks, "Anytime Crutch. Tell Racer to come see me sometime; I ain't seen him in a while."

"Sure thing Jackie. He's been busy leadin' and hangin' out with Spot when he's not, but I'll tell him." Crutchie looks to the darkening sky through their windows and sighs, "We's best get going. Thanks so much for the sandwiches Kath."

Katherine tenderly smiles, "Anytime Crutchie."

Crutchie turns and opens the door before leading Mouse out of the apartment. Katherine watches them depart down the hallway before shutting the door and looking to Jack.

She has to stifle a laugh at Jack struggling to contain the ball of fur, which is currently trying to climb him. He finally grabs it with both hand and holds it arm's distance, a bemused expression on his face.

"So, what do we do with it now?" Katherine asks, hoping that he doesn't say-

"We keeps it," Jack says with firmness.

Katherine frowns. "Jack-"

"We ain't just putting it out in the cold Ace," he says firmly, his face darkening to a glare that dares her to say otherwise.

Katherine frowns at the implication. She thinks they've crossed the line from talking about kitten experiences to talking about people experiences, but mention that is not going to change Jack's mind. She tries a different tactic, "Black cats are unlucky."

Jack loses some of the tension in his posture and chuckles, "No they ain't Ace, that's just old wives tales."

Katherine huffs and tries out a different route, "We don't have anything for it to eat."

Jack shrugs and a small smile appears on his face as he goes over to the table, pulls a piece of turkey out of the remains of his sandwich and tears off a small piece. He sets the piece on his shoulder and allows the kitten to climb up there to eat it, wincing once he remembers the sharpness of its claws.

She crosses her arms and sags her shoulders in defeat as the kitten eats up the piece of turkey before expectantly staring at Jack. It paws at his ear and he turns to it in surprise. It pitifully mewls at him and he tears off another piece of turkey and sets it on his shoulder.

"So what's its name going to be?" Katherine asks. At the sound of her voice the kitten turns to look at her.

Jack smiles upon the realization he's won. 'Well if you's so stuck up on it being black then we can calls it charcoal or ink." He pauses. "Ink – Inky. I like that."

Katherine smiles, "Well it makes sense. If both of us are going to be covered in ink all the time, our cat might as well represent that."

Jack pulls the kitten – Inky, off his shoulder and walks over to Katherine, holding out the fluff ball in such a way that she's forced to grab hold of it. She holds it to her chest with one arm and strokes it with the other. Its starts to purr and she's won over already.

"How did you know that would work?" She asks quietly.

Jack looks at her confused, "What?"

Katherine smiles as the kitten starts to knead her arm. "Get Mouse to give up the kitten," she clarifies.

Jack rubs at the back of his neck in thought before shrugging, "Oh, it's a trick a learned with Race when he started bringing home cigars. I didn't want 'im smokin' them and I found out pretty quickly the only way he'd give em up was trading with me." He pauses, in thought. "Worked for all of a month before he decided there was nothin' he wanted more than cigars. Never figured out what to do after that."

Katherine chuckles. Jack had told her Race didn't start picking up cigars until he was twelve or so and if the trick only lasted a month with him, she wonders how long it will work on little Mouse.

Jack embraces her from behind as she holds Inky and rests his head on her shoulder. Katherine swears she can feel him smiling. She stays in his embrace, enjoying both the comfort and the warmth.

She never saw her life like this, but it sure does make her happy.

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Thank you for reading! As always, reviews are adored!

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